The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has released a proposed rule regulating the use of belt air to ventilate working section and a request for information regarding belt combustion toxicity and smoke density.
The proposed rule addresses the recommendations of the Technical Study Panel on the utilization of belt air and the composition and fire retardant properties of belt materials in underground coal mines, authorized under section 11 of the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006. The panel’s report contained 20 recommendations of which the proposed rule addresses 15. The remaining five can, according to the preamble, be implemented without the need for new regulations.
The proposed rule is comprehensive amending existing regulations contained in:
- Part 6 testing and evaluation
- Part 14 approval requirements for flame-resistant conveyor belts
- Part 18 electric motor-driver mine equipment
- Part 48 training and retraining of miners
- Part 75 qualified and certified persons; belt air course ventilation; AMS systems; mine ventilation plan content; escapeways; fire protection and maintenance
Comments on the proposed rule must be submitted to the agency by Sept. 8.
In advance of the close of the comment period, the agency will conduct a series of four public hearings, as follows, to receive comments on the proposal:
August 19: Radisson Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah
August 21: Hilton Suites, Lexington, Ky.
August 26: Embassy Suites, Charleston, W.Va.
August 28: Sheraton Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala.
Comments in response to the Request for Information must be submitted by Sept. 19.